The Asia Cup 2012 has been brought forward by a day, beginning on March 11 instead of the originally scheduled March 12.

The opening match remains the same though with hosts Bangladesh taking on Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

“The shift was made due to a broadcasters’ request as they wanted the tournament to begin on a Sunday (March 11),” said event manager Iftekhar Rahman. “Since the Pakistan squad will arrive in Dhaka quite early, it will not be a problem for them to play against the hosts a day early.”

The second match of the tournament — India vs Sri Lanka — is on March 13, the organisers coolly avoiding the opposition-organised Dhaka march on March 12, which would have caused logistical difficulty.